As a new year begins, many of us pause to reflect — on where we’ve been, what we’ve carried, and what we hope to release or renew. This episode invites that reflection through writing; it explores how putting words to experience can support healing, clarity, and emotional well-being.
Episode 86: The start of a new year often opens space to look back, take stock, and imagine what healing or growth might look like going forward. In this remixed episode, we explore how writing can be a powerful tool for that process — helping us clarify emotions, process trauma, and make meaning from life experiences, both painful and joyful.
The episode opens with a powerful story from Bronia Rubin Brandman, a Holocaust survivor who demonstrates how writing and telling her story became an essential part of her healing. Her words remind us that writing can be an act of survival — a way to bear witness, navigate moral complexity, and reclaim voice after unimaginable trauma.
Host Debra Sloss, LMFT, is joined by poet, writer, editor, and teacher Patrice Vecchione, along with two of her former students, Briar Spungin and Erin-Kate Escobar. Patrice draws on decades of teaching poetry and creative writing, inviting writers of all ages to listen inward, speak their truths, and explore what matters most.
Briar Spungin, a young poet whose work is deeply shaped by growing up on the Big Sur coastline, shares how poetry has helped her navigate mental health challenges, reflect on identity, and find beauty in unexpected places. Erin-Kate Escobar, a diversity trainer and consultant, reflects on how poetry and journaling have supported lifelong self-exploration, healing, and meaning-making.
The episode concludes with a story from State of Mind volunteer Youssef Hassanein, who shares how the isolation of the pandemic became an unexpected opportunity to turn inward, discover himself as a writer and poet, and reconnect with a sense of purpose through creative expression.
As a new year begins, his conversation reminds us that healing doesn’t require perfection or grand plans. Sometimes, it begins simply by putting words on the page and letting that reflection guide the next step.
Broadcasts: 1/4/26 & 1/12/26
Producer & Host: Debra Sloss, LMFT
Guests: Patrice Vecchione, Briar Spungin & Erin-Kate Escobar
Contributors: Bronia Rubin Brandman read by Gitta Ryle & Youssef Hassanein
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Transcription. Read the full English transcript of this episode here:
English Transcription – Episode 86: Title
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State of Mind is an all-volunteer produced mental health and wellness podcast and radio show hosted by psychotherapist Debra Sloss. Through intimate, story-rich conversations with guests and experts, we explore the complexity of being human and how to live well. Learn more at stateofmindmedia.org. Produced with support from KSQD Community Radio.
🙏 SPECIAL THANKS
Audio Production: VJ Lukka, Jeanne Baldzikowski & Youssef Hassanein
Volunteer Coordination: Evelyn Campbell
Story Coaching: Patrice Vecchione
Research: Melony Dominguez, Ramya Pondicherry & Sara Isenberg
Transcriptions: Tanmayi Kademani
Marketing Direction: Youssef Hassanein
Marketing: Nimalan Elanchelvan
Graphic Design: Priscilla Yee & Grishma Jain
Content Production: Austin Gautreau
Data Management: Loan Tran
Theme Music: Adrian Legg & Favored Nations Entertainment
RESOURCE LIST
*Indicates a Monterey Bay Area resource
Reading
My Shouting, Shattered, Whispering Voice: A Guide to Writing Poetry and Speaking Your Truth by Patrice Vecchione (2020) – This guide encourages new writers of all ages to find their voices, step up and speak their truths, and articulate what matters to them most—both personally and politically—whether it be boldly to an outside audience or just privately for themselves.
The Artists Way by Julia Cameron (2016) – This book offers a guide to embark on a creative journey and find a deeper connection to process and purpose. The author’s novel approach guides readers in uncovering problems areas and pressure points that may be restricting their creative flow and offers techniques to free up areas where they might be stuck, opening up opportunities for self-growth and self-discovery.
The Generation of Postmemory: Writing and Visual Culture After the Holocaust (Gender and Culture Series) by Marianne Hirsch (2012) – This book argues that memories of traumatic events live on to mark the lives of those who were not there to experience them. Children of survivors and their contemporaries inherit catastrophic histories not through direct recollection but through haunting postmemories, objects, stories, behaviors, and affects passed down within the family and the culture at large.
*Untethering from Terror: Reflections on International Holocaust Remembrance Day by Myra Goodman (Jan 27, 2023) – In this blog post the daughter of a Holocaust survivor talks about the multigenerational impacts of both trauma and post-traumatic growth.
Absent from you
By Briar Spungin
Love of my life
by Erin-Kate Escobar
The Time Capsule
by Youssef Hassanein
Erin-Kate’s Recommendations
The Artists Way Video Courses by Julia Cameron – 12-week course to hone your creative self; one large component is daily morning pages.
The Painting Experience led by Steward Cubbly – painting workshops, classes and online courses. An opportunity to explore color, shape, texture and playful creativity. He also has a podcast called “The Painting Experience.”
Linda Thai Somatics – 12-week online course that includes a lot of science-based evidence of the work of listening to our bodies.
Briar’s Recommendations
Phoebe Bridgers music, “Chelsea” by Phoebe Bridgers (song
“Having a Coke with You,” by Frank O’Hara (poem)
Falling Up, by Shell Silverstein (book)
Patrice’s Recommendations
*Hiking at Fort Ord and Riding a Noodle at the Pool: When I’m able, I take 3 – 5 mile walks alone on the Ft. Ord land in the early mornings, after the sun’s come up, but not much after. There I sort out what’s overwhelming, breath deeply, take in the beauty, and celebrate the gift of being alive. When I’m unable to walk, I go to the pool. There, silly as it sounds, I ride a noodle back and forth till my arms and shoulders sting from the good use of them.
My Journal: I’ve kept journals on and off since I was in high school. Beginning on the first day of winter, I made a commitment to write in it daily. Before looking at my phone or computer, in the wee hours of morning when it’s still dark, I sit down at my desk, reach for journal and pen. Whatever wants to come forward I accept without judgement or criticism—at least that’s my aim. I’ll write for 15 minutes, or when time allows and inspiration fuels, I write for much longer than that.
My Best Friend: Gina has been my best friend since I was 16 and she was 17. She lives in Michigan so we don’t see each other often but we talk on the phone almost every day. She knows my deepest secrets and she holds them with tender care. When my mother was dying, I called Gina, back when we both lived in the same city. She came over in the middle of that night and put my socks on my feet because I had forgotten what to do with them.
Books: Two of my favorite books, books that I return to, are The Names of Things, by Susan Brind Morrow and The Poetics of Reverie, by Gaston Bachelard. Reading is one of the essentials of my life, mostly memoir, poetry and short novels written by women.
Paper and Fabric Collage-Making: Making pictures and quilts employs a very different aspect of my brain from what writing does. I love the slowness and tangibility of hand-stitching and the magic and mystery of cutting out paper and putting pieces together as they’ve never appeared before to tell a new story.
“On Writing”
mixed-media collage by Patrice Vecchione
Arts Organizations
*Carl Cherry Center for the Arts – presents contemporary performing and fine arts programs to encourage interactions between artists and the community in Monterey County. Their outreach includes a poetry writing program for under-served high school students.
General Counseling Support
* Family Service Agency (FSA) of the Central Coast is a dedicated underwriter of State of Mind. FSA provides resources, support, and counseling services to adults and children. FSA believes in the power and potential of people of all ages and backgrounds to discover their own creative solutions and welcomes people of diverse cultures, genders, sexual orientations, ages, faiths, socio–economic backgrounds. FSA Counseling Offices offer Medi–Cal, Medicare, and low–cost, sliding scale services in both downtown Santa Cruz 831–423–9444 x200 and in Soquel 831–346–6767 x200.
* Shine a Light Counseling Center – Shine a Light provides affordable counseling for couples, individuals, children, and families in English or Spanish in Santa Cruz and Monterey counties.
Videos
International Holocaust Remembrance Day: Yad Vashem opens “The Book of Names” at the UN – CBS News Story in which Bronia Brandman is interviewed.
Contact Guests
*Patrice Vecchione, Author, poet, and workshop leader. Patrice leads poetry and creative writing workshops for people of all ages.
Email: patrice@patricevecchione.com
Phone: 831-206-2475
Erin-Kate Escobar, Human Centered Workplace Strategist and Artist. Erin-Kate facilitates retreats and organization wide change for greater value alignment.
Email: ek@erinkateescobar.com
*Indicates a Monterey Bay Area resource
